Chapter 977 The Battle for the High Tower (11) (Patreon)

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Early the next morning, Batman and Merkel quickly began their operation. Batman had a ready-made interviewee: Hexagon. Although they didn't work in the same area, Batman had a way to find him.

Hexagon worked deeper in the mines, and what connected the inside and outside of the mines were the ore carts used to transport minerals. These carts were powered by magic and required no manual control; they could move automatically. More importantly, for humans, the cargo containers used to transport minerals were larger than trains.

After digging up the ore, it had to be dragged to the side of the tracks in baskets. The diminutive demons and humans had to climb scaffolding to dump the ore into the carts. Foremen often lurked nearby but paid little attention to whether anyone approached the carts.

Sometimes, when a cart was overloaded and too heavy to move, the foreman in charge of watching the carts would call over a few people to unload the minerals and stack them into the next cart. For Batman, this was an opportunity.

Batman noticed that there was a significant gap between the bottom of the cart and the tracks, and the bottom was not entirely smooth. He could easily hide underneath the carts during the transfer of minerals between them and secretly follow them into the depths of the mine.

The reason he had this opportunity was because the person currently overseeing the carts in this area was Schiller.

After successfully executing his plan, lying beneath the cart as it moved forward, Batman realized why intelligence work not only required breadth but also depth of infiltration.

If there were two insiders in a department, many things would be facilitated. If one of them held a high position, many tasks would become much easier. If several insiders held different positions, it was almost like a Green Lantern pathway, unimpeded.

When infiltration reached this level, counterintelligence became almost impossible.

Many times, infiltrated forces weren't unaware of the situation but when it reached this extent, it was like a gecko losing its tail; it wasn't just the tail that was lost. To sever the tail, one had to discard the internal organs as well, kicking the spy out, and forget about their life.

Feeling the vibration of the cart moving forward, Batman began to contemplate in his mind how to deal with this situation. After much thought, he realized there was only one way: shifting the center of power, completely undermining this department, then using false work to confuse the opponent and starting anew elsewhere.

But achieving this required great courage, long-term planning, and always staying vigilant.

Just as Batman was thinking about this, the cart arrived at its destination: the deepest part of the mine, where Hexagon worked. It was the gathering place for the important metal ore, "Shadow Ore."

From his previous conversation with Hexagon, Batman knew that Shadow Ore was a special mineral mainly used for forging armor for cavalry. While its hardness and toughness were only passable, its most important quality was its weightlessness, akin to shadow.

This made it perfect for full-body armor for light cavalry and lining for heavy cavalry. It could also be alloyed with other metals to enhance their properties without adding weight.

However, mining this mineral was relatively difficult because wherever there was Shadow Ore, there were shadow vines, plants that would entwine around the minerals and indiscriminately attack any miners trying to collect them.

And Hexagon, awakening his own consciousness in these shadow vines, had to do his best to appease these mindless vines so that the miners could mine safely.

Because the time for appeasement was limited, and so was the time for mining, the miners here were the strongest beings, striving to extract the most minerals in the shortest time.

Batman got off the cart and immediately found shelter behind a section of Shadow Ore rock that had already been mined. With a few leaps, he climbed onto the protruding part of the rock and then climbed higher along the support structure made of logs to overlook the situation in the mine.

He noticed that the miners here were roughly divided into three races. The most prominent were the Lava Demons, resembling stone giants from myth, but with molten patterns appearing on their bodies when they exerted force.

Each Lava Demon stood five or six meters tall with huge fists. Whenever the shadow vines were pacified, they would rush up and vigorously smash the Shadow Ore with their fists, followed by some Imps picking up the shattered fragments.

In addition, there were Dark Red Giants slightly smaller in size than the Lava Demons and Rotten Mud Demons that could devour minerals.

Batman carefully observed the actions of these demons and noticed that the Dark Red Giants had little to no relationship with the other two races. This race resembled oversized humans, agile in movement, and possessing fingers to use tools, not relying on other races.

However, Lava Demons had to rely on Imps to collect the fragments they smashed, and when they smashed the minerals, they would erupt into sparks, easily injuring shadow vines and Imps, and sometimes even hitting the Rotten Mud Demons.

Batman saw shadow vines and Imps frequently dodging, with arms or limbs emitting charred smoke. Rotten Mud Demons also often grumbled discontentedly, reminding nearby Lava Demons to be careful.

Recalling Hexagon's previous complaints, Batman thought to himself that the Lava Demons and almost all the other races in the mine were quite troublesome. These big guys were powerful but seemed lacking in intelligence and manners. Batman could easily come up with a dozen plans to deal with the Lava Demons without much thought.

After looking around, Batman finally spotted Hexagon's figure among a pile of shadow vines, cowering in a corner.

However, the Lava Demon partnered with him seemed to have particularly poor judgment. Every time it smashed ore fragments, it would create a large burst of fire, erupting into numerous fireballs, causing nearby shadow vines and Imps to howl in pain.

Witnessing this scene, Batman didn't rush down to rescue Hexagon. Instead, he stayed there for a while, observing the behavior patterns of each race, then returned to his workstation with the cart as it departed.

In the evening, back in the dormitory resting, Batman heard Hexagon's cries again. This time, before he could even speak up, Hexagon extended his burnt tentacles towards Batman, saying, "Human, please use your treatment magic to help me, my feet are really hurting!"

As Batman helped treat Hexagon's injuries, he casually remarked, "That Lava Demon bullied you again. Aren't you going to think of a way to deal with it?"

"What can I do? Those big guys have no brains at all. I've shouted at him along with the Imps several times to be careful, but he just won't listen. I think he just doesn't like me..." Hexagon lamented.

"What's with the Imps?" Batman asked, somewhat puzzled. Imps were names he had given to those small demons in his own mind. Why was Hexagon also referring to them as Imps?

"Because they are Imps," Hexagon said, wincing in pain. "Short and small, the easiest to bully in hell. That's why they're called Imps."

Batman recalled that indeed, they were the smallest demons he had seen in the mine. Imps were less than a meter tall, with big heads and pointed ears. They walked unsteadily, relying on their tails to maintain balance. If they walked any faster, they would stumble.

"These guys may be small in stature, but they're incredibly prolific, so there are a lot of them. They have their own system internally, easy to manage, so every mine keeps a large group of them to do odd jobs," Hexagon explained, rubbing his tentacles. "The food you eat is made by them."

After briefly pondering, Batman made a mental note of this information and then said, "You said those big guys are brainless. Isn't it easy to deal with them?"

Hexagon waved his tentacle and said, "Do you have a way? You cunning humans always have a way. You humans are known for your cleverness and cunning in hell. Only those ancient demons and demon lords can match you..."

"Tomorrow, just do as I say. Even if you can't make him suffer, you can definitely get yourself a new partner," Batman said.

The next day, after starting work, Batman once again used the same method to ride the ore cart to the depths of the mine. Then, he hid above the wooden support, and sure enough, shortly afterward, chaos erupted below.

"Oh, my god! What's wrong with these shadow vines? Why are they suddenly erupting? Run! Run!"

"Oh god, where's Hexagon? Why isn't he working? Hurry up and pacify these shadow vines! Oh, my butt hurts!"

Batman peered down and saw huge shadow vines erupting one after another, capturing miners of various races in chaos.

Those Lava Demons, five to six meters tall, were no match for the shadow vines. Thousands of shadow vines enveloped almost the entire mine. The scene of the vines erupting reminded Batman of the arrival of All Things Green.

After a while, the foreman arrived, and as the chaos gradually subsided, Batman heard a voice of complaint, which was Hexagon:

"...That big guy doesn't care at all. A fireball hit me on the head, and I was putting out the fire when he punched the shadow vine next to me. Sir, you know, those things can't handle stimulation. After being punched, they immediately erupted..."

"I tried to pacify them, but that big guy kept swinging his arms and knocked me against the wall... Oh, my foot hurts so much!"

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Aofei! And his children, they all work here!"

Before the foreman could speak, the group of Imps began chattering, "Correct! That big guy is just too much. His actions are the most violent in the entire mine. Last time, he almost pushed us into the magma!"

"Correct, correct, he's doing it on purpose. He wants to play with us, but he doesn't work properly himself..."

More and more complaints arose, and the foreman, looking at the chaotic mine, sent his men to call others. After a while, a stronger foreman walked in, and with a whip, he harshly struck the back of the Lava Demon.

The whip seemed to have a special magic effect; when it hit the Lava Demon, a green mist instantly rose, and the Lava Demon let out a fierce scream. It was then driven out of the mine by the foremen, and no one knew where it was taken.

The foreman coughed and said, "Don't let me catch anyone causing a mess here again. It's a special time now; the smelting factory is waiting for the ore. If we can't get enough minerals within three days, I'll throw all of you into the magma!"

Watching the foreman's departing figure, Batman narrowed his eyes, his gaze falling on the whip the foreman held in his hand.

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 978: Battle for the High Tower (Twelve)